The labeling of foods containing material derived from crustaceans such as shrimp and crab is to become mandatory in Japan because of increases in the number of allergy patients. To ensure proper labeling, 2 novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits for the determination of crustacean protein in processed foods, the N kit (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Ibaraki, Japan) and the M kit (Maruha Nichiro Holdings, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan), have been developed. Five types of model processed foods containing 10 and/or 11.9 g/g crustacean soluble protein were prepared for interlaboratory evaluation of the performance of these kits. The N kit displayed a relatively high level of reproducibility relative standard deviation (interlaboratory precision; 4.08.4 RSDR) and sufficient recovery (6586) for all the model processed foods. The M kit displayed sufficient reproducibility (17.620.5 RSDR) and a reasonably high level of recovery (82103). The repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) values regarding the detection of crustacean proteins in the 5 model foods were mostly <5.1 RSDr for the N kit and 9.9 RSDr for the M kit. In conclusion, the results of this interlaboratory evaluation suggest that both these ELISA kits would be very useful for detecting crustacean protein in processed foods.

Charge microheterogeneity of the beta-trace protein (beta-TP = lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with various neurological disorders was analyzed by capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF). Under the conditions employed, beta-TP in the low-molecular-weight protein fraction of CSF was separated into at least four isoforms with different p/ values. An isoform with the pl value of 4.6-4.8 was usually the most abundant. The total beta-TP level in the CSF was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to be elevated in patients recovering from organic damage to the CNS and those with pathological brain atrophy. Changes in the total beta-TP level in the CSF were occasionally accompanied by those in its charge microheterogeneity, as revealed by CIEF. Such quantitative and qualitative changes in beta-TP in human CSF indicated changes in its pathophysiological roles in association with various neurological disorders.

A novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system has been established for selective detection of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) yolk protein (SYP). Rabbit and rat polyclonal Immunoglobulin G antibodies to β'-component (the major allergic protein in fish roe; anti-β) were applied for designing the ELISA system. The sandwich ELISA using rabbit anti-β for the capture antibody and horseradish peroxidase-labeled F(ab')2 fragment of rat anti-β for the detection antibody obtained high sensitivity and narrow specificity for SYP. Protein extraction using sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2-mercaptoethanol ensured strict specificity of the ELISA, and components of three popular processed foods had no effect on the ELISA response. The limits of determination and quantification of SYP were estimated to be 0.78 μg/g and 2.60 μg/g of food sample, respectively. In conclusion, the developed ELISA system has a probability to be applied for the detection of contaminated chum salmon roe in processed food.